Twin satellites will use Kinect technology to dock in space

Microsoft's Xbox
360 sensor Kinect is about to cross the final frontier.
Engineers in Surrey are developing
a pair of satellites that can dock together, in-orbit, using a
system based upon Kinect technology.

The device's latest outing will be on the STRaND-2 satellites --
two half-metre orbiters that will borrow components from the Xbox
controller to scan the local area and provide the satellites with
spatial awareness on all three axes.

"We were really impressed by what MIT had done flying an
autonomous model helicopter that used Kinect and asked
ourselves: Why has no-one used this in space?" explained Shaun
Kenyon, project lead at Surrey Satellite Technology Limited
(SSTL).

The STRaND-2 twins will separate after launch, perform some
safety checks, and then be commanded to dock with each other once
again. When they're close, the Kinect-based docking systems will
give the satellites the 3D spatial awareness to safely align and
link.

Right now, in-orbit docking systems are in the exclusive domain
of multi-billion dollar spaceships and the International Space
Station -- SpaceX's Dragon
just docked with the ISS this month. STRaND 2 will be the first
time such tiny ships have linked arms in space

"Once you can launch low cost nanosatellites that dock together,
the possibilities are endless -- like space building blocks," says
Kenyon.

STRaND-2's predecessor, the predictably named STRaND-1, is powered by an Android phone and will use the
gadget's components -- sensors, cameras, GPS, batteries,
accelerometers, compasses, data storage -- during its travel
sometime in 2012.

The phone will run a number of apps while in space. iTesa will
record the magnitude of the magnetic field around the phone,
Postcards from Space will take geotagged photos, and Scream in
Space will play recorded screams to see if the mantra "'in space
no-one can hear you scream" holds true.